More savings in store for truckers with road rehab

TRUCKERS may expect to save more this year with the rehabilitation of major road networks and bridges.

Among projects for completion by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is the Travesia bridge along Daang Maharlika Highway in Guinobatan, Albay. Repair work for Tobgon Bridge in Ligao City, also in the province of Albay, is also 88% complete with the bridge passable by end of the month.

As a result, travel time will be cut by at least 45 minutes, translating to lesser fuel expenses and faster delivery of goods and ultimately better profits for truckers.

DPWH also said it has completed the repair and retrofitting of 13 bridges in Northern Mindanao, which is part of Sixth Asian Development Bank road project.

Three of the newly retrofitted bridges are located in Lanao del Norte along the Iligan-Cagayan De Oro Road while 10 are in Misamis Oriental along the Cagayan de Oro-Butuan Road.

The DPWH has also completed four major projects: the Marikina bridge and bypass road project costing P991.91 million; widening and improvement of the MacArthur Highway Phase I which costs P467.5 million and Phase II amounting to P61.90 million; Plaridel bypass road, P1.1 billion; and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway ramps 1 and 4 amounting to P601.68 million.

The department also constructed a total of 151 farm-to-market roads equivalent to 229.33 kilometers farm-to-market roads under the P362-million budget of the Department of Agriculture and 249.859 kilometers under the P617.083-million budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform.

This year, the public works department has a P90.72-billion budget for the design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure projects in accordance with national development objectives.